ON THE JOB

Rebuilt engine specced for reliability How did you come across this car? I’d been looking for a 1275 GT online for a few months, and was trying to find a genuine GT that hadn’t been messed around with but needed restoring. It had to be a restoration project as these cars fetch strong money even when they’re on their last legs. I was a mechanic and MOT tester for 28 years, so I wasn’t scared of buying a project. This one came along and it fitted the bill nicely.

How did you get into Minis? A friend of mine had a 1970s Scalextric set with a load of cars. A couple were Mini GTs and I just thought they looked so cool. The seed was probably planted then. A neighbour also had a Minivan when I was a kid; I loved it and dreamed of one day owning it. My first car was a £250 Mini Clubman 1100 Special (VJX 219V) which I bought at 16. I loved the front of the Clubman and preferred it to the standard Mini as they somehow look feistier, like they were built for racing! They’re a pretty car with engines that sound amazing through the right exhaust system.

What was the first restoration project you took on? I suppose it was the Clubman 1100 Special. Although the masses of welding required was done by a work colleague who took me under his wing as an apprentice mechanic. It wasn’t so much a restoration but more a scraping through an MOT! Several full restorations have been completed since then by myself, including a Triumph Spitfire, MGB GT, VW Beetle, two Peugeot 304 Cabriolets, Datsun 120Y coupe, and my 1987 BMW 320i which I still have as my daily runaround.

Where did you find this Mini? My old boss spotted it on eBay and pointed it out to me. It was about 40 miles away so it wasn’t too far to go and collect it. I’d just sold my Datsun, so I had the money burning a hole in my pocket.

How did you start the rebuild? The last MOT ran out in 1993 and it had been locked up in a leaking garage ever since, so it was hard to pick a starting point. I wanted to hear it run before the stripdown – so, after rigging up a makeshift fuel tank, unseizing the carb, cobbling some engine parts together and freeing off the engine with diesel down the cylinders, it sparked into life without too much trying. I then braced the shell before the thing snapped, steel square tubing was bought and welded across the body and door apertures. The car was fully stripped of everything, including the subframes. I made a start replacing the driver’s side floor and sill, as this was the worst side. I needed to get strength into the shell before any bending or distortion occurred and progressed from there.

What have you done to the bodywork? Quite a lot! So far it’s had both full floor panels and crossmember, sills, both door steps, both A-pillars and stiffeners, heel board, full boot floor, side bins, nearside rear wheel arch, rear valance and rear

Cabin will be tastefully upgraded with semi-bucket seats and Bluetooth audio The smile of a man who’s powering through a whole world of welding

Quality work with quality panels

panel. I’m currently fitting a new nearside quarter panel. All the panels I’m using are from Heritage - I can’t be bothered saving £20 on a cheaper alternative and then spending an extra day making it fit properly. My advice is to always buy the best parts available and save yourself wasted time, energy, and needless amounts of swearing!

What have you done to the engine? The engine was fully stripped and found to have a badly scored crankshaft. This had to be reground courtesy of Lockside Engineering in Castleford, new oversized shells were fitted, along with piston rings, timing chain and oil pump. The head was also stripped, skimmed and fitted with new valves. The ports were redressed slightly removing any casting lumps and bumps. I was tempted to go for a rebore and fit a faster camshaft, but opted for originality instead. Any engine modifications were just going to be bolt-on items as opposed to non-reversible modifications. These included an alloy rocker cover, highoutput coil, HIF 38 carburettor and a Pipercross air filter. Other items were also renewed or refurbed such as the alternator, distributor, fuel pump etc. The gearbox was stripped too as it wouldn’t select any gears when I bought it, even though the clutch pedal was seized to the floor! I first had to obtain a new casing as the old one had a bodged sump plug that was leaking. After this I replaced the synchro hubs, bearings, and a damaged 2nd gear. The diff, like everything else on the car, was also badly worn with excessive free play in it; again, this was stripped, worn parts replaced and shimmed up correctly.

Did you have any concerns about taking on this project? Yes, I had a few sleepless nights when the amount of welding required started to spiral out of control. Spare time is precious when you’re working full time and have a family. Doing the job is easy. It’s having the time to do it that is the issue.

Were there any difficulties? Nothing I wasn’t expecting really. The bodywork side is the hardest for me as I have more of a passion for the mechanical side of cars. The welding of panels was just a case of measure twice and cut once. A badly welded floor panel can be out by

When it’s ready, the shell will be treated to a few coats of its original factory orange 1mm at the front but 20mm out at the rear. And with so much rot, as well as badly welded repairs from yesteryear, it was sometimes difficult finding a good datum point to weld to. Thankfully, everything seems to be in line so far with good door gaps and a rear subframe that bolts on nice and square. I’m happy so far.

What are your plans for the car once it’s finished? It will be used daily. That’s what these cars are there for in my opinion. It’s each to their own, but I’m not a person who will only take it to car shows and then only when there’s been no rain for a fortnight! It will be used for going to work, taking the kids to school, doing the shopping and even taking rubbish to the tip. Build it and use it, that’s what I say!

What is it about working on Minis you like or dislike? I love the availability of parts! You can get almost everything, Mini owners should be grateful for this. You try finding parts for a Datsun 120Y or a mid-’70s Peugeot 304… My only dislikes about Minis are getting backache when you’re working on the engine and then smacking your head on the bonnet catch when taking your head out – other than that, there’s nothing else to dislike about this iconic classic car.

FINISHED SPEC

BODY: Fully restored, repainted in original orange, tasteful arch kit ENGINE: Fully rebuilt, alloy rocker cover, highoutput coil, HIF 38 carburettor, Pipercross air filter, subtle big-bore exhaust TRANSMISSION: Fully rebuilt 4-speed manual SUSPENSION: Stock BRAKES: Stock WHEELS: 12” Revolution wheels INTERIOR: Semi bucket seats, modified dash with oil pressure gauge, vac gauge, analogue clock and Bluetooth radio with hands-free THANKS: Paul Best